My buddy Paul Howard has been having a love-fest with his new faded les Paul, so he was kind enough to write up a little review for us:
I like it
Ever since the first time I picked one up, I've always wanted a Les Paul but the price was always the obstacle. I just couldn't afford a couple grand and there isn't much point in accepting compromise when picking out a major guitar like that. So, I waited. A short while ago, while I was checking out some Epiphones, my buddy at Guitar Center thrust a Vintage Studio into my hands and told me I could have it for only a few bucks more. You can always tell a really cool guitar from way it feels in your hands. From the moment I picked it up I could tell it was the real thing. I already knew from past experience that American -made Gibson means just that: an American Gibson. This guitar lives up to what that means.
It could never win any awards for its' appearance. It is plain red-cherry vintage stain with a light coat of sealer. There is no sanding finish, you can see flecks of blue in the wood grain, which is open. The pickguard and hardware are in black with "studio" knobs. The only mod I made was to change these to the traditional gold hi-hats. It gave it a nice personal touch. What's under the hood in this guitar is what really makes it cool.
Based on the '57 Black Beauty, the body is all mahogany. The pickups are a set of Alnico 5 Burstbucker Pros. The neck is a '59 contoured.
Man, this neck is out of this world! It is so easy and comfortable to play. The action is the smoothest and most responsive I've encountered. Players with both large and small hands commented on the comfort. I never get tired on this guitar. The bending and expression on this fretboard is great, I find myself doing things I never would have tried on other guitars, (except my Strat, of course!).
The pickups are equally amazing, they have more dynamic range and openness than most humbuckers, the dynamic expression you can get with your playing technique alone without ever touching a knob is unreal.
As far as tone, the open finish body and Burstbucker combination produce a tone so rich and unfiltered that dialing-in the Les Paul tone I'm after is really easy on any modern amp. You could spend a lifetime exploring the tonal possibilities here. It makes the most out of every amp I plug it into. The hardware is very good, it holds tune beautifully.
The tone circuit is genuine Gibson as well, this is no small thing. The better the pots respond, the more shaping of your tone. These pots are great. Purists might argue that the heavy finish on the standard Les Paul is part of the tone and they are right. Open grained guitars are another sound. The question is whether that sound is the real thing and will give you what the guitar is known for. I think the answer is yes. The vintage finish guitars from both Gibson and Fender are great instruments. I wouldn't trade this guitar. It's a great Les Paul!
I'm not waiting anymore. I'm playing and I'm really diggin it. Since I got this guitar, I just can't put it down.
This is exactly the kind of guitar you might overlook in l well-stocked store. It is really plain to look at, no kidding, it is. It also comes in an even duller brown. But if you're out to make some noise and climb the Sonic Olympus until you're eye-to-eye with it, this axe is the real thing.
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